Whether it’s a relaxing vacation or an extended trip for work, taking a trip means making preparations for your home comfort system. You won’t be using it if you’re away, so you can make adjustments as appropriate to minimize your energy use. At the same time, you don’t want to just turn it off for the entire time you're gone.
For the most part, it’s best to leave your HVAC system running and adjust the temperature depending on whether it's winter or summer. That way you can minimize energy costs without having to worry about getting back to an uncomfortable home. We’ll walk you through why you shouldn’t turn your HVAC system off as well as the ideal thermostat settings for different times of year.
This Is Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Thermostat Alone
While you could be tempted to leave your HVAC system off before a trip, this could end up stirring up big problems by the time you return. This is particularly true if the weather will be severely hot or cold while you’re gone.
For instance, shutting the HVAC system down in the summer will sometimes cause very high humidity. Not only will your home feel gross when you come back, but it may have also invited mold/mildew growth or pest infestations.
And during the winter, not using the furnace might lead to pipes icing over or even bursting. It’s an awful feeling to get home from a long trip only to find substantial water damage nearby a broken pipe.
Best Thermostat Settings While at Work
You can adjust the temperature even if you’re coming and going to work. Because you’re away for around 8 hours or so, it doesn’t make sense to keep an empty home at the same temperature you’d usually have. Generally, it’s suggested to adjust the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. Meaning that if you prefer a comfortable 72 degrees, try adjusting it to 76-77 while you’re gone.
But you may save even more if you're open to further adjusting the temperature. As reported by the Department of Energy, you may save nearly 10% on your HVAC spending by raising the temperature by about 7-10 degrees.
Energy-Efficient Thermostat Settings While on Vacation in Summer
If you leave for a longer trip in the middle of summer, you can make bigger adjustments. This ensures you don’t waste energy while still defending your home from the problems that come with leaving it un-air conditioned. Around 5 degrees is appropriate for short trips while a larger adjustment of 10 degrees is ideal if you’ll be away from home for 2 weeks or more. If you enjoy keeping the house at 72 in the summer, 78-82 can offer great results.
Ideal Thermostat Settings While Away from Home in Winter
To try and find the best thermostat setting for a winter getaway, simply lower it by the same amount you would increase it in summer. 68 is a common winter thermostat setting, so adjusting to 63-58 will protect your plumbing while restricting how often your furnace runs.
Smart Thermostats Are Even Better: Advantages of Smart Thermostat Installation
One of the best ways to manage your home’s HVAC system while away is using a smart thermostat. This special type of programmable thermostat employs intelligent software to monitor your usual comfort habits. It gradually understands these preferences and makes automatic adjustments to the schedule for better energy efficiency. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely adjust your heating and cooling with a smartphone or tablet.
Smart thermostats are loaded with features to help you save even more. To provide an example, specific models can track electricity prices to increase heating or cooling when prices are lower. They can also work with high-efficiency, variable-speed equipment to optimize how long your HVAC system has to run. It’s the ideal tool to simplify how you control your comfort system. If you’re thinking about investing in a smart thermostat, there are multiple ways you can reduce your costs, essentially getting a smart thermostat for free. The next time you are away from home, you can receive true peace of mind that your HVAC system won’t cause any trouble while you’re away.